A View from the Other Side
by ThereAreWorseGamesToPlay
Summary: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Universe. The story of Darcy: his life, learning, and love. The LBD only show you one half of the story, now it's time for the other side. Darcy's POV. A prequel to the events leading up to my drabble, "The Darcy Diaries," and will be continued after those events, as well.
1. One Way, First Class

William Darcy walked into his house in Pemberley, California, after a long day at work. You could hardly call it a house, however; it was more of a mansion. The place was elegant and grandiose, with enough space to fit at least twenty people with room to spare. He inherited it after his parents had died, and sometimes, the space seemed like too much for just him and his sister. On a day like today, though, he was grateful for the isolation of it. He loved his work, and took his position as heir to an entertainment industry seriously, but some days were arduous and dragged on. Today was one of these days.

Darcy walked into the main lounge before making his way up to his room, to see his sister. Georgiana was seventeen and beautiful. The two looked alike- both were tall, with pale blue eyes, and light skin. The only difference was Georgiana's golden blonde curls in comparison to his dark hair. Georgiana was shy and affectionate; and this along with her looks and inheritance made her easily preyed upon by every man she had ever met. Darcy had cared for her since their parents' deaths and he loved her more than anyone else in the world, which made him fiercely protective of her. She was naïve and compassionate, so Darcy watched over her intensely.

"Gigi, I hope that book you're reading is schoolwork," Darcy said, peering over her shoulder.

"Hello to you too, Darcy. And no, it's for leisure. I finished my work last night." Gigi smiled at her brother who made his way over to a chair adjacent to where she was.

"That's good. I'm proud of you. Soon enough, we'll be seeing an acceptance letter from Harvard, right?"

Gigi rolled her eyes and laughed. "I have to apply first. But I'm sure if I don't have the grades, I could always buy my way in."

Darcy smirked. "I wouldn't hear of it. Besides, you're way smarter than me; and with all your extra-curricular clubs, they'd be stupid to turn you down," Darcy paused as Gigi went back into her book. "What is it you're reading, anyway?"

"A book I found in the attic. It was in one of mom's boxes."

Darcy looked curiously, "Is it any good."

Gigi smiled. "Yes. But I doubt you'd like it. It's a Victorian romance novel from the eighteen hundreds, not some profound poetry written by a middle aged hipster that you would like."

Darcy shrugged. "You never know, I might like it. And when have I ever read_ anything_ by a middle aged hipster?" He got up from his chair, moving closer to the hall.

"You know you would," Gigi said as Darcy laughed. "Oh, and before I forget! Bing called before, saying he needs to propose something to you. He said it is of the utmost importance that you call him back."

Darcy made his way up the stairs shouting back, "I'm sure it is."

Bing Lee was Darcy's friend from Harvard. Bing was handsome and perpetually optimistic, with a smile tattooed onto his face at all times. It was impossible for people not to gravitate towards his pleasant demeanor, even Darcy. But, he did have a tendency to over exaggerate. The last time he needed Darcy's urgent help was in picking out an outfit for an interview at UC-Berkeley medical school, and in the end, he ended up wearing the one Darcy deemed the worst.

Darcy picked up the phone and dialed Bing, thinking about how all he wanted to do was relax for the rest of the evening.

"Darcy, finally, man! I've been waiting all day for you to call."

"Sorry, I was in two corporate meetings and had a pile of paperwork to look over. But, I'm talking now, what was your question?"

"Well, as you know, I've gotten a residency in Sacramento and to cut down on traffic, I decided to buy a house here…"

"Okay, continue," Darcy said not knowing what to expect.

"And, I want you to come spend the rest of the spring and summer here with me! The house is huge, not like you're mansion, but we're lonely here. It's in this beautiful gated community called Netherfield, in this quaint town right. You'd love it. We could use you're great company!"

Darcy raised an eyebrow. "We? Is your sister there, too."

Bing sighed, "Where else would she be?"

Darcy chuckled. "Well, now I have the feeling it's less about you wanting me there, and more of you needing me there to diffuse the tension in case of some sibling rivalry."

"Of course not, Darcy! We love your company. You're always so cheery and … warm an-and…okay. I need you here. Please, she will drive me crazy if I'm stuck with just her indefinitely."

"Hey, I heard that," A girl's voice whined in the background.

"Hello, Caroline," Darcy said through the receiver. "I'm sorry Bing, but I can't. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy your company, but I can't leave Gigi."

"She can come, too!" Caroline shouted in the background.

"No, she can't. She graduates next year and I have to make sure she stays focused on her studies."

Darcy was about to hang up when he heard Caroline demand the phone. Bing responded with a no and a small tousle sounded over the phone. For a moment, there was static, until Darcy heard Bing say fine, and a small noise of triumph from Caroline.

"Darcy, it's Caroline."

"Yes, I can see that."

"Listen, I need you here. More than I need coffee. And, you know how much I need my coffee. If you don't come, I will die. I will die from Bing's incessant babbling and general annoyingness. And, you, William Darcy will be responsible for that."

Darcy laughed. "No, Caroline, you aren't being over dramatic at all."

"I'm not! Bing Lee is the death of me will be written on my grave. You know, Gigi is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. And your lovely aunt can come up on the weekends to check on her for you."

Darcy exhaled. He knew it was pointless to fight with Caroline, who had everything she ever wanted, but he had no intention on spending his summer at Netherfield. "Fine. I'll consider it."

"Yes," Caroline squealed triumphantly. "See you soon, Darcy!"

Darcy let out a sigh and lied down on his bed, contemplating the idea, until he heard a small knock on the door. He peeked up, to see Gigi standing in his doorway. She smiled and placed herself on the edge of the bed.

"So, what did Bing want," she inquired curiously.

"Nothing," Darcy said, lying back down.

"That nothing sounded like a something…" Gigi trailed.

"He wanted me to visit him at his house for the summer, maybe longer. But I'm not going."

"You should! It would be good to leave your work for a while!" Gigi said optimistically.

"It would, but I can't just leave the offices and you for an open-ended amount of time. Remember when I went to Vancouver for a month?"

Gigi scoffed and tapped him lightly. "Can we not talk about that? I was fifteen, Darcy, and admittedly stupid. But, it's not like I'm even talking to _him _anymore. I quit swimming, remember?"

"No, you're not. And he would be an idiot to even show his face in this town, or come within five hundred feet of you."

"Seriously, Darcy, you should go. You can still run the company over the internet. That's why they invented e-mailing and Skype."

Darcy turned and faced his sister. "I'd have to have Aunt Catherine come and check on you every week. And random inspections by Fitz, to make sure you're not harboring any men in the guest rooms."

"Fine. And it's not like I'll be alone. The housekeepers will keep me company," Gigi added. "Just promise you'll call me?"

"At every opportunity I get," Darcy promised.

Gigi gave him a hug and said, "Then you have some calls to make. If Caroline is there, you better pick the earliest flight possible." Darcy nodded in agreement, and she smiled at her brother as she left the room.

Darcy picked up the phone and made reservations for flight the next day. One way; first class.

* * *

Darcy stood in the baggage claim area, surveying the room for Bing. The airport was crowded and it would have been nearly impossible to spot Bing without his trademark smile. The two friends moved closer to each other, greeting each other openly.

"Mr. Darcy, I've been expecting you," Bing stated, in a horribly cheesy British accent.

"Good to see you too, Bing," Darcy said happily. "I was expecting to see your sister here, too. Or is it too early for her?"

"Oh, no. She's here; she just went to get Starbucks in the lobby. Get your bags and we'll go meet her." Darcy picked his luggage of the belt, and handed them to Bing's chauffeur. The two made their way into the lobby, where Caroline sat at in a lounge chair sipping a coffee with one hand, and holding one in the other. When she saw the two men, she made her way gracefully over.

Bing and Caroline were both attractive. Tall, with perfectly sculpted bodies and bright faces. Bing's disposition made him look more handsome than he already was, but Caroline's lack of smile didn't make her any less beautiful. She was a statue, practically flawless, but ice cold.

"Darcy," she smiled coolly. "I of course knew you wouldn't subject me to spending the whole summer with Bing; but, as a token of my gratitude, I got you a tea. Your favorite."

"Oh, thanks, Caroline. It's not like you big brother wanted a drink or anything," Bing said playfully.

Caroline shook him off easily. "Bing, you just bought a house in full. You are perfectly capable of buying your own coffee."

Darcy, in an attempt to stop some sibling sparring, gave a thank you to Caroline. "Very thoughtful. Even if it's Starbucks."

Caroline scoffed. "Oh, please. It's not like the airport is going to fly in Arabica beans fresh from Ethiopia to be blended into perfection for the Bings' and William Darcy. Be grateful."

Darcy smirked, and sipped the drink warily. "I am."

Bing looked at his watch. "Are you two going to keep talking about coffee, or can we leave?" Darcy nodded and started to walk towards Bing.

"Wait. Just one more thing. What in God's good name is on your head," she asked pointing at Darcy. He questioningly pulled the hat off his head and examined it.

"A hat?"

Caroline gave him an irritated look. "Obviously. I'm not blind. What I mean is _why? _It looks like it flew out of the Great Depression."

Darcy raised a shoulder. "I like it. It serves its purpose."

"So does a firing squad, but those are still considered cruel and unusual…" Caroline mumbled.

Bing impatiently ushered his sister and friend to the town car waiting for them, as Darcy anticipated how long this summer would drag on.


	2. First Impressions

The three arrived at Bing's Netherfield home and made their way into the family room. Darcy examined the place. It was considerably smaller than his home in Pemberley, but still big enough with ample room to move around. The three gathered on a couch, and made conversation. Darcy inquired about Bing's residency and Caroline talked about how much she missed seeing Gigi.

"I wish your sister could have come. She'll have to visit us at some point when school is over."

Darcy nodded, but mentioned that she was enrolled in tennis and piano, and that her lessons would take up most of her time.

"Have you guys enjoyed it here," Darcy asked, changing the subject.

"Yes!" Bing said eagerly. "The people here are wonderful, and the atmosphere is great. I love small towns."

Caroline laughed. "The only things small towns are good for is gossip and inbred families. Plus, everyone I've met seems totally barbaric."

"Caroline, you haven't talked to anyone," Bing retorted.

"I don't need to talk to see what kind of people live here. Remember that man at the country club? What was his name…something Bennings, right?"

"I think it was Bennet. But, he was really welcoming."

"You thought the cactus outside was welcoming, Bing. This man was a bumbling idiot. First he had to tell us all about his three daughters, like I care, and then almost knocked me in the face with his tennis racket," Caroline countered.

"I'm sure he was just being friendly," Darcy said.

"Speaking of friends, you're going to be making some Saturday," Caroline said as Darcy raised an eyebrow. "You're going to be my date at the wedding," she said happily.

"What wedding?" asked Darcy apprehensively.

"One of my friends from med school, you don't know him. And, you do not have to come," Bing said.

Caroline glared at her brother. "Of course he has to come. I already took the liberty of buying you a suit. Final sale, so there's no way around it."

"I'm not going, Caroline. Weddings are bad enough, and I don't even_ know_ these people. I'll pay you back for the suit."

Caroline's face started to turn red. "I already RSVP'd with you as my plus one. You're going," Caroline ran up the stairs in a fit, as Bing looked at her in shock.

"I'm sorry man; this is why I needed you here. But, it could be fun. You never know, you might meet someone…"

"I highly doubt it, Bing," Darcy said, going up the stairs to compromise with Caroline, and maybe get out of the whole ordeal.

Darcy stood in the hall, while Bing glanced at his watch. He couldn't believe he actually was going to the wedding, but Caroline had made a point that she would make his life a living Hell if he didn't give in.

"Caroline! Hurry up, we're going to be late," Bing shouted. Another five minutes passed before Caroline's door opened.

Darcy was texting his sister as he waited. "I told you specifically, _before we left_, to not under any circumstances let Caroline come back home before the reception. You had to have known she would do a full change with different makeup and hair."

"He's right, Bing. You shouldn't have given in," Caroline said flashing a smile to the boys, although both were too preoccupied to notice. "How do I look?"

Darcy was still busy texting Gigi, and didn't bother to look up. "Lovely, now can we leave? We're going to be late to a wedding I wasn't even invited to…"

Caroline told the boys to relax as they got into the car. "They're probably still setting up the reception area. We'll be fine."

Sure enough, Caroline was right. They were only ten minutes late, but the cocktail hour was running behind as well. Once the doors opened to the ballroom where the reception was held, Darcy and Caroline went straight to their seats. Bing made his way around the room, introducing himself to people he didn't know, and making small talk to the ones he did.

Twenty minutes passed, without Darcy making any attempt to talk. Caroline peered over at him every so often, but didn't push him to talk much.

"Are you okay, Darcy?" she said worryingly, as the time crept on.

"Other than the fact I don't want to be here, I have to file three reports tomorrow, and I have a headache; I'm peachy."

"Oh boohoo," Caroline mocked. She resumed ignoring him, and sipping on her champagne until something made her choke. "Oh my God, _why_," Caroline emphasized to get Darcy's attention.

Feeling the need to respond, Darcy said, "I know. This DJ is horrible. They could have hired a live band, at least."

"No, not that, you idiot. Look at Bing," Caroline pointed to where her brother was sitting. He was in between a middle-aged couple, ac luster of three related- looking girls, and another one who bared no resemblance. "That's the Mr. Bennet guy we were telling you about the other day! Those must be his daughters, except the Asian one, of course. Unless she's adopted. Ugh, look at the one next to Bing! She's wearing a dress from last year's collection."

Darcy looked at the girl Caroline pointed out. She had red hair and an affectionate look on her face. Bing and the girl were talking rather closely, and she smiled at him sweetly. Darcy shrugged, "She looks nice enough." The two got up, and started dancing to a song the DJ was playing as Caroline shuttered.

Darcy looked around the rest of the table. Mr. Bennet looked content enough, but his wife was flailing. Brimming with excitement, she kept pointing at Bing and her daughter dancing. Darcy shook his head for her in embarrassment and looked at the girl next to her. She had bright red hair, and was chugging back drinks when her mother wasn't looking. On her side was the smaller Asian girl, laughing and taking pictures of the people at the table. The bright haired girl tried to take her Vodka tonic when she was busy snapping a picture, when the last girl stopped her.

"Lydia!" she exclaimed. The girl on the end gave her friend back her drink, and her sister some water. Darcy laughed. He looked at the girl. She looked about his age, with dark auburn hair and light skin. Her eyes were blue and striking against her porcelain complexion. She was smiling lovingly at her sister who was dancing. To Caroline's shock, he couldn't stop staring at her.

"Darcy, who are you staring at?" she said, put off.

Darcy pulled his gaze away, and turned towards Caroline. "Just Bing dancing." Darcy looked back up to the Bennet girl, but found that she had moved. He skimmed the room and saw her back faced to him, talking to her friend at the bar.

Darcy tried to pull away his gaze, but found himself quite enamored with the girl. Although she was across the room her personality exuded. Her laugh carried across the hall and she smiled through the whole night; but Darcy couldn't just go talk to her. Caroline was here, and if he paid anyone attention other than her, he wouldn't hear the end of it. Furthermore, he had trouble expressing himself clearly to people; his words would come out muddled and end up making himself look stupid. So he stayed put most of the night, occasionally checking his phone for updates from Gigi.

Twenty minutes or so passed without any communication on Darcy's part, until Caroline gasped. "Look! Bing's bringing a posse over here." Darcy looked up, and sure enough, Bing was heading towards their table with the girl he was dancing with, her sister, and her friend. Unsure of what to do, Darcy picked up his phone again, so he wouldn't look like he was staring at the girl.

When Bing approached the table, Darcy stood up awkwardly. Caroline looked at him questioningly, but smiled at the group.

"Bing, I was wondering when you would introduce us to the beautiful girl you were dancing with all night," Caroline said, simulating excitement.

"Sorry, time passes when you're in good company," Bing remarked, as the girl smiled. "Jane Bennet, this is my sister Caroline, and my friend William Darcy. They've been staying with me at Netherfield. And here," Bing said mentioning to the two other girls, "is Lizzie, Jane's sister, and Charlotte Lu."

Caroline started talking to Jane, and not before long, Charlotte joined into their conversation. Lizzie tried to join them, but it almost seemed that Caroline was isolating her purposely. Instead, Lizzie smiled cheerily at Darcy. Bing, sensing his friend's discomfort, introduced them further.

"Darcy's been staying with me and my sister, poor guy. I don't know why he ever agreed to that."

"You practically begged me to, Bing," Darcy replied.

"Very true, but you agreed. Darcy works for an entertainment industry, Lizzie," Bing said, helping his friend along. "He practically owns it."

Lizzie sounded interested, "Oh, really? I'm a mass communications major. Only two semesters left before I'm done with grad school," she said, waving her hand in the air to display happiness. Darcy nodded tersely, without saying anything.

Bing pulled his friend aside, excusing himself from Lizzie. He whispered, "Darcy, do me a favor and talk to her. I really like her sister, and it would help if you would be… nice, just for the evening."

Darcy leaned closer to Bing and countered, "I am being nice. She…she…well. Um, she's smiling too much, It looks like she's drunk."

"Or she's just friendly. Besides, it's a wedding-people drink. Just act civil. For me," Bing finished, making his way back towards Jane. Darcy moved closer to Lizzie, apologizing for Bing's interruption.

Lizzie said it was fine, and looked down at her drink, trying to think of something else to say. "So, William, are you enjoying it here?"

Darcy fumbled with his words. "Um, call me Darcy. And no, not especially." Lizzie made a small oh sound, and Darcy realized how rude his statement had come out. "I mean, I've been to worse places."

Lizzie noticed the DJ changing songs in the background, and tried to incite some more small talk. "Do you like dancing?" she questioned, hoping to find something remotely interesting about this man.

"To this type of music…not particularly. Not if I can help it, at least." Darcy remarked. Lizzie's smile faltered, and she nodded in exasperation.

"Well, nice meeting you, Darcy," she said, and then proceeded to tap Charlotte on the back and pull her away from Caroline.

Darcy placed his hand over his face. He couldn't believe how stupid he had made himself look. _Why couldn't you talk to her like a normal human_, he thought to himself. His face was red with humiliation, and he took a chug of his shot to calm his nerves.

The night passed slower than before, the mortification slowly seeping in more each time Darcy looked over to Lizzie. She was laughing with Charlotte, no doubt telling her how foolish and asinine he had acted. With his shame added to the mix, Darcy didn't want anything more than to go back to the house. He spotted Bing in a large pile of men, and made his way to the outskirts of the group.

"Bing," he yelled. "Caroline and I want to leave. Meet you at the car in ten?"

Bing looked at him, clueless. "What? Darcy, I can't hear you man. They're about to throw the garter!"

"I said," Darcy continued, "I'll meet you out by the-" Darcy was cut off by something hitting his chest. The thing fell into his hands, and to his reverence, the garter lay in his palms. Darcy threw the garment at Bing in exasperation, mouthing no to his friend.

"Looks like we can't leave yet, Darcy, you still have to do one more dance," Bing laughed, tossing the garter back to him.

A crowd of women looked at Darcy, and in excitement made their way closer to the bride to vie for the flowers. The bride, Ellen Gibson, was blessed with the grace and casualty of a steamboat, and the force of a quarterback, and she hurtled the bouquet as far back as she could manage. A few girls moved out of the way to avoid the force, and the bouquet hit none other than Lizzie Bennet's head. Darcy laughed at how events seemed to conspire against him, as Lizzie shook off the blow. Once she composed herself, she turned around to find who had caught the garter; when she spotted the elastic dangling from Darcy's hand. Her smile faded as Lydia and Charlotte nudged her closer to Darcy.

Lizzie greeted Darcy with as much decency she could manage. "I see that even though you hate dancing, you still managed to catch that," Lizzie stated, as they waited for the song to begin.

"Catch isn't the best word," Darcy remarked. A slow paced song started to play, and Darcy took Lizzie's hand hesitantly. Nervously, Darcy started dancing. He could feel the eyes on him and Lizzie, and it added to his apprehension. "I'll try not to step on your feet," Darcy said cautioning.

The two swayed together awkwardly, as Darcy tried to think of anything to say to no avail. To make up for his lack of speech, Darcy stared at Lizzie, waiting for her to initiate something; but his gaze must have come off too harsh because he found her trying anything to stop herself from making eye contact. The song ended, and the two broke apart.

"Thank you, Lizzie," Darcy said genuinely, although he could tell that she didn't necessarily enjoy the dance. Darcy turned curtly, back towards Caroline and Bing. "Can we leave now?" The three started to make their way outside, with Bing and Caroline eyeing Darcy.

"What?" he inquired.

"So, you and Lizzie Bennet. Dancing," Bing said, miming the two twirling in the room. "How did that go?"

"You were there," he answered bluntly. "You saw how it went."

Caroline interjected. "I think what my brother means is, do you like Lizzie Bennet?"

Darcy stopped walking. "What? No. Of course not," trying to hide his flustered state. Caroline raised her eyebrow. "I-I mean she's decent enough, bu…but I have other things to worry about." Caroline peered behind Darcy's shoulder, and he turned around in confusion. There stood Lizzie, talking with Charlotte, but definitely close enough to hear. Darcy shook his head in frustration and headed towards the car, with Bing following.

Caroline smiled, and flipped her hair over her shoulder as she walked past the two girls. "Bye, Lizzie. Charlotte. I hope we have the pleasure of seeing each other soon," she said in a friendly enough tone, only to roll her eyes when they were out of sight.


	3. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

With the events from three weeks ago in the past, Darcy decided to take time to catch up on all his work. Nothing was particularly hard, but most tasks were tedious and time consuming. For once, the Netherfield house was quiet, and Darcy reveled in it. Bing was upstairs, talking on the phone with Jane; while Caroline was out shopping, which as she described was an "all day event." However, Darcy couldn't stop thinking about Lizzie Bennet.

What was she doing now? Probably in school, or studying. But was she thinking about him? Most likely not. Darcy found himself thinking back to the wedding, replaying all the possible scenarios that could of transpired, but didn't. Maybe if Caroline wasn't there, he would have talked to her; he almost convinced himself for a split second. But Darcy knew that the problem rested in him. He was horrible at making conversation, and couldn't ever bring himself to say what was on his mind, especially when it came to romantic endeavors. When it came to those, he had no experience at all. Darcy convinced himself the next time he saw her, if he did indeed see her again, he would be more sociable.

Soon enough, Caroline waltzed through the door, holding at least a dozen bags and snapped him out of his reverie.

"It's such a beautiful day outside, Darcy. You should have come out with me," Caroline said cheerily. She was always in the best of moods after a shopping escapade.

"Well that would have been pointless, Caroline. The thing about malls is that the stores are inside," he said, snickering.

"Oh, you know what I mean," she said joining him on the couch, rather closely, peering at the documents on his computer. "What are you reading?"

"Business reports, nothing that would interest you."

"God, don't you ever do anything for fun? Hang out, meet people? Life isn't all about projections and figures."

Darcy put down his laptop and looked at Caroline. "What is life about, then, Caroline? Please enlighten me," he remarked sarcastically.

"Friends, of course. And family. And love," she said emphasizing the last part with a smile.

Before Darcy even had time to think of a response, Bing bounced down the stairs hurriedly. He grinned happily. "I was just on the phone with Jane," he started as Caroline whispered no surprise, "and I've been thinking. We've been talking for a few weeks now, and she hasn't been over, so I thought it would be nice to invite her to dinner here tomorrow, if you don't mind."

Darcy shrugged, uninterested. "It's your house."

Caroline on the other hand seemed flustered. "What! No, Bing. She can't come over. The house is a mess!"

"The house is spotless, Caroline," Bing replied.

"Not Darcy's room!" Caroline said fishing for any reason the girl shouldn't come over.

Darcy looked up, a little taken aback. "You've been in _my_ room?"

"I was looking for something!"

"For _what_!?" he asked, not sure what she would need from him.

"It doesn't matter! Back to the bigger picture. As much as I love Jane, and you _know_ I do, it just wouldn't be fair to me or Darcy at dinner with you only talking to her. We'd be all alone," Caroline added a small frown for emphasis.

Darcy thought about the situation for a moment, and chimed in. "Bing, Caroline is right."

"Thank you Darcy!"

"It would be unfair to us if you _only_ invited Jane, I'm sure you can understand. Of course, you could always invite Lizzie and Charlotte, and then we'd all have someone to talk to."

Caroline looked at him sternly. "We're not running a YMCA, Darcy. Seriously, you don't even know them. Why would you even want them here?!"

"Well, as you so eloquently stated, I need to make more friends. And inviting them would be a perfect opportunity, no?"

Bing gave Darcy a thumbs up, "Yes! Like always, you are a lifesaver, man. I'll call Jane right now to tell her to bring them here tomorrow night."

Caroline frowned. For once, she didn't get what she wanted. She looked at Darcy, who continued his work with a small smile. Giving up, Caroline rushed upstairs.

Darcy laughed and smiled softly to himself. This time, he would make actual conversation with Lizzie Bennet. He would be prepared and as charming as ever, and make a lasting impression.

* * *

One of the worst things about being under the same roof as Caroline Lee was how she acted under stress. And tonight was no different. It was half an hour until the Bennet sisters and Charlotte Lu would arrive for dinner, and everything was perfect. The chef was finishing preparing the meal, the housekeepers had finished the day's work, and the three were dressed and ready to entertain their guests. But, Caroline managed to still flail like a chicken without a head.

Caroline insisted on having every moment of the evening planned out: from where they would sit, to what they should talk about and when their guests would leave. Bing, who had been brimming with nerves even seemed more collected than his sister.

"Caroline, will you please calm down? I'm sure the girls won't care if we use the silver or gold tableware," Bing said, periodically looking at the clock.

"Well, of course they won't," Caroline mumbled only loud enough for Darcy to hear, "but I don't want to look like an uncultured swine."

"Hmm," Bing questioned.

"Nothing, I was just asking Darcy if we should have red or white wine," Caroline said, covering up her statement flawlessly.

Soon enough, the doorbell rang and Bing got up to answer it, brimming with excitement. Darcy peered at the door from his seat. Butterflies rose as he saw Lizzie enter the house graciously, with Jane by her side. Caroline scurried in from the kitchen to greet the guests, but by the time she had reached the door a confused look formed on her face. Darcy rose from his seat and made his way over to the door. Standing disjointed from Lizzie and Jane was none other than their mother and Lydia.

"Oh-em-gee, Bing! Your house is so adorbs! I bet it's great for parties, am I right?" Lydia rambled, peering into the house.

Caroline stared at the group judgingly, and mumbled something inaudible. Oppositely, Bing held his composure, even if he was caught somewhat off guard.

"Lydia, Mrs. Bennet, how nice of you to drop off Jane and Lizzie. I was hoping to see you again, actually. Jane was talking about how she'd like me to come over. Maybe we could plan something for the upcoming week."

In a matter of moments, the two uninvited houseguests were out the door, and plans were made for the occupants of Netherfield to visit the Bennets' house sometime soon. Mrs. Bennet was in a tizzy, screaming to Lydia about how she had to get her house ready to receive the Lee's and Darcy.

"I'm so sorry about that," Jane said apologetically when Bing returned to the room, "my mother likes to invite herself places sometimes."

"All the time," Lizzie commented.

"It's alright," Bing said, taking Jane's hand, "I'm just happy you're here."

Jane laughed, "It's good to see you too."

"And how are you, Lizzie?" Darcy chimed in, keeping his voice low not to let his nerves show. He noticed how pretty she looked, in a grey dress that made her blue eyes more prominent, and her hair pulled up; it was hard for him to focus.

"I'm fine," she answered with a small smile. "It was really nice of Bing to invite me and Charlotte along."

"Well, it was actually-"Darcy started to explain how he thought of inviting them, but Caroline cut him off with a nudge.

"It was our pleasure! I wouldn't think of inviting Jane without you, too. And, Charlotte of course. It's so nice to have some girls in the house for once. I've been stuck with these two the whole month."

Charlotte arrived only a few minutes after Lizzie and Jane, and seated herself by her friend.

"Bing, you have great house," she remarked in awe of her surroundings. "I mean, you could fit my whole apartment twelve times in here."

"Well, you're all welcome here anytime you feel," he said, looking mostly to Jane. "The more the merrier, right?"

"Of course," Caroline added with a smile.

Darcy sat directly across the table Lizzie. She paid close attention to her sister and Bing, listening to them speak, but not adding any input.

"So, um, Lizzie," Darcy started nervously, as she looked up, "you said you were studying Mass Communications, right?" Lizzie nodded, waiting for him to continue. "What type of career do you hope to go into?"

"Well, I'm not sure right now. I'd like to do something that makes an impact you know? I want to do something I love, not a job that's 'decent enough,'" Lizzie said with a smirk.

Darcy's stomach churned. She had heard what he had said at the wedding, obviously. He decided not to answer back, to avoid any unpleasant conversation. "And you, Charlotte?"

"Oh, I'd take any job," she said. "Lizzie's a dreamer. I have a more resourceful outlook on life."

"I'm not a dreamer, Char. I just want to work for a company that I'd be proud to represent. Wouldn't you?"

"No, Lizzie," Caroline interjected. "Charlotte is right. Of course we all would like a perfect job like you described. But, don't you have to worry about financial difficulty?" she added in a whisper.

Darcy's head shot up. "Caroline, it's not like you have a job," he murmured, as Lizzie laughed nervously.

Caroline looked apologetic. "I'm sorry if that came out rudely," she remarked feigning concern. "What I meant is that it would be lovely to have both, right?" She added a smile, as Lizzie and Charlotte nodded, not knowing if she was being genuine or not. "What about you, Jane? Do you like your job?"

Jane looked away from Bing for the first time. "Yes. I love it."

"And it pays well?" Caroline pushed.

Jane looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Um, it gets me by," she said happily, "and besides, I'd rather my work make me happy than my salary."

"Of course," Caroline agreed, but turned towards Darcy to raise an eyebrow only he could see.

The dinner went on with everyone making small conversation. Jane and Bing seemed intent on staying close the entire night, even once the meal was done. Once finished, the group moved into the lounge for drinks. Caroline went to sit in a corner chair, while Bing and Jane sat on a loveseat, talking quietly to themselves. Lizzie and Charlotte made themselves comfortable on one of the couches, talking about a project for a professor named Gardiner, and Darcy went to go join them. Before he reached the girls though, Caroline made a small gesture for him to come sit with her.

"Were you about to leave me alone to sit with Lizzie and Charlotte?" she asked, frowning.

Darcy sighed, "Just trying to take your advice, and be friendly. But, you seem intent on not following it yourself."

"Whatever do you mean?" Caroline said innocently.

Darcy raised the pitch of his voice trying to mock Caroline's voice, "Oh Lizzie, Jane. Are you two financially sound?"

Caroline scoffed. "I didn't say that. I was just making conversation."

"Sure you were," Darcy said, looking away from here, almost getting up.

Caroline whimpered quietly and pulled him back down. He looked at her with an agitated expression. "Fine. I had a motive," she muttered, making sure the girls across the room couldn't hear her.

"Which is," he said hesitantly.

"I have a feeling that Jane is getting close to my brother, for…hmm, what's the word…. _advantageous_ reasons."

Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Advantageous?" he questioned.

Caroline nodded. "I know they only just met. But, I can tell, she isn't being genuine with Bing. And her mother, she practically tore off her close in excitement when they two were dancing at the wedding. Such an embarrassment. You can't say I'm wrong."

Darcy thought carefully before phrasing his next sentence. "Her mother seemed rather enthusiastic, but I don't see why that's a bad thing."

"It's not. Unless she told Jane to get with Bing."

Darcy looked perplexed, "Where would you even get a preposterous idea like that?" Caroline just shrugged, discarding his question. Darcy decided not to inquire any further and instead offered to get Caroline another drink. He walked past Charlotte and Lizzie, who were imitating Muppet characters. He raised his eyebrow, but smirked.

"Statler and Waldorf, right?" he said, trying to guess which ones they were emulating. Lizzie started laughing hysterically and Charlotte nodded yes, holding back laughter. Although he had no clue why Lizzie was in uproars, he was pleased in knowing he could make her laugh.


End file.
